Geoinformatics

Geoinformatics is a multidisciplinary field of science that uses technologies supporting the processes of acquiring, analyzing, and visualizing geospatial data.

The definition of the term "geoinformatics" varies greatly, however. For example, author G. Randy Keller, focusing on the internals of our planet, explained geoinformatics as the use of "data, software tools, and computational infrastructure ... to facilitate studies of the structure, dynamics, and evolution of the solid Earth through time, as well as the processes that act upon it and within it from the near surface to the core." Other definitions of geoinformatics dutifully extend its scope to the surface of the planet, causing more confusion as terms like "geomatics," "geographical information system," and "computational geography" are brought to the discussion from different regions around the world and are often used synonymously. Senior lecturer Jiří Šíma of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen attempts to compare "geomatics" and "geoinformatics" using ISO standards:

"According to ISO Standard 19122 'geomatics is a discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information.' Its range is perfectly described by activities of the Geomatics Canada: establishing and maintainace [sic] of national spatial reference system, preparing, publishing and distributing of state topographical maps, aeronautical charts, aerial photographs and gazetteers, surveys on state boundaries, property surveys on federal lands, maintainance [sic] of national bases of geographic data for the development of geographical information systems.

 

There is no definition of geoinformatics in ISO Standards. One of the best was published by Dietmar Grünreich, president of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in Frankfurt (Main): 'geoinformatics is a discipline concerned with theory of geospatial data modeling, their storage, management and processing as well as with development of geographical information systems and necessary information and communication technology.'"

Application

Many fields benefit from geoinformatics, including urban planning and land use management, in-car navigation systems, virtual globes, public health, local and national gazetteer management, environmental modeling and analysis, military, transport network planning and management, agriculture, meteorology and climate change, oceanography and coupled ocean and atmosphere modelling, business location planning, architecture and archeological reconstruction, telecommunications, criminology and crime simulation, aviation and maritime transport. The importance of the spatial dimension in assessing, monitoring and modelling various issues and problems related to sustainable management of natural resources is recognized all over the world. Geoinformatics becomes very important technology to decision-makers across a wide range of disciplines, industries, commercial sector, environmental agencies, local and national government, research, and academia, national survey and mapping organisations, International organisations, United Nations, Emergency services, public health and epidemiology, crime mapping, transportation and infrastructure, information technology industries, GIS consulting firms, Environmental management agencies), tourist industry, utility companies, market analysis and e-commerce, mineral exploration etc. Many government and non government agencies started to use the spatial data for managing their day to day activities.

Branches of geoinformatics include Cartography Geodesy Geographic Information Systems Global Navigation Satellite Systems Photogrammetry Remote sensing Web mapping

Informatics

Geography and earth science increasingly rely on digital spatial data acquired from remotely sensed images analyzed by geographical information systems (GIS) and visualized on paper or the computer screen.

Geoinformatics combines geospatial analysis and modeling, development of geospatial databases, information systems design, human-computer interaction and both wired and wireless networking technologies. Geoinformatics uses geocomputation and geovisualization for analyzing geoinformation.

External links

• Open Geospatial Consortium
• International Cartographic Association (ICA), the world body for mapping and GIScience professionals
• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
• International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)

Notes

This article reuses a few elements from the Wikipedia article.